The Hall of the House | Growth of a Young Nation | Design of the Hall | Speaker of the House | Notable Ceremonies | John Quincy Adams | Historical Artifacts
Portrait of Henry Clay (1785-1862)   Guiseppe Fagnani (1852) U.S. Capitol Collection Gift of the Artist The portrait of Henry Clay is oval-shaped and depicts the Speaker from above his waist to his head. Clay has blond hair and blue eyes, and is wearing a black coat and brown waistcoat.   Announcement of N.P. Banks, Jr., as Speaker   "Exciting Scene in the Hall of Representatives on the Announcement of N.P. Banks, Jr., as Speaker" Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, February 16, 1856. The black and white illustration shows the crowd's reaction upon the announcement of Nathaniel P. Banks, Jr., as Speaker of the House on February 2, 1856. The people in the gallery are shown from the back as they jump up from their seats, waving their hats in the air in celebration. The draperies and seats of the gallery act as a frame for the drawing. One can see the crowd below on the Chamber floor is also standing as a man reads the announcement of the new Speaker from the Rostrum.		The Speaker of the House "The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker. . . ." – U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 2 The Speaker of the House of Representatives is one of but three legislative positions explicitly described in the Constitution. Elected by Members of the House, the Speaker is "the elect of the elect." The Speaker is the only leadership position in either chamber that is filled by a vote of the membership. Henry Clay of Kentucky, the most prominent Speaker to serve in this Hall, held office intermittently in the House from 1811 to 1825. Elected the day he entered the House, at age 34, Clay was Speaker during his entire House tenure and later had a distinguished career in the Senate. A natural leader with a national vision, Clay was particularly important to the House because he defined the role of the Speaker. He was the first Speaker to combine the functions of Parliamentarian, Member, and Leader, insisting that his role as Speaker did not jeopardize his rights as a Member of the House to participate in debates or to vote. Mid-19th-century politics, characterized by the strong feelings about the slavery issue and the presence of numerous minor parties, often made electing a Speaker difficult. In 1855-56, the process of electing Nathaniel P. Banks, Jr. of Massachusetts took almost two months and 133 ballots. Continue exhibit